Trees

Boundaries and EdgesBoundaries and edges are an integral part of the urban design process, defining the limits and transitions between different spaces, providing a sense of place through visual, social, and physical cues. More

Protecting Existing Landscape

Drainage and SUDs

Biodiversity

Gardens and Small Spaces

Management and Maintenance

Layout, parking and public realm

Landscape and Nature

Gardens and Small Spaces

Introduction

Collectively, gardens and small spaces form a significant percentage of the Borough’s green spaces.

All gardens and small spaces contribute to the Borough’s landscape and nature. Small spaces can include:

Gardens
roof tops
balconies and terraces
living walls
pocket parks
public squares
allotments
car parks
edges and verges.

Codes in this Section

Submission requirements

LNL 6

Gardens and small spaces

CODE

The most attractive areas of Trafford and the most desirable places to live have a full and abundant landscape. The majority of this landscape is privately managed within gardens and small spaces. All new developments must deliver landscapes of a similar quality to the best landscaped parts of the Borough. This will involve a landscape led approach to the design process that means that a full and robust landscape infrastructure must be delivered.

Landscape rich areas always add value to an individual property or neighbourhood, which will exceed the cost of its implementation.

It is often the case that the quality of landscape infrastructure delivered at the outset determines the status for years to come. For a landscape to thrive, the basic ingredients must come through the development process to allow the future owner or individual to nurture and embellish the quality of the space.

No garden or small space should be ignored. Given their application at the human scaleThe use within development of elements which relate well in size to an individual human being and their assembly in a way which makes people feel comfortable rather than overwhelmed. More, they contribute uniquely to the vibrancy, life and health of an area. To achieve this, there needs to be a clear focus on the detail.

For the private individual or family, an outdoor or garden space can make the home, and can have a great bearing on the quality of home life. How a garden is designed and implemented is vitally important in defining this. Good design must consider:

Levels of privacy and security
Protection from disturbances
Aesthetic qualities to deliver beauty and harmony
Space to enjoy
Opportunities for planting
Delivering biodiversity enhancements
How the space is experienced from the outside

Similarly, for small public spaces, such as verges, pocket parks or allotments the quality of detailingThe details of a building are the individual components and how they are put together. Some are a deliberate part of the appearance of a building, including doors, windows and their surrounds, porches, decorative features and ironmongery. Others are functional, although they can also contribute to the appearance of a building. These include lighting, flues and ventilation, gutters, pipes and other rainwater details. Detailing affects the appearance of a building or space and how it is experienced. It also affects how well it weathers and lasts over time. More will have a vital role to play in the success of these spaces.

Small spaces can include the planting of new trees, hedges, shrubs, wildflowers, bulb planting, rain gardens, the formation of small ponds, lawns or earth sculpturing, or may contribute to urban art and gatherings.

It is vitally important that the design and development process delivers the best possible landscape and nature framework from the outset.

The Code requires a high quality landscape led approach to design and development, and particularly for gardens and small spaces. There is an expectation to deliver high standards of landscape implementation at the outset.

Goose Green, Altrincham

This historic small space has been transformed into a buoyant urban square, with successful tree planting within hardstanding and other vegetation in planters. Street FurnitureThe collective name used for all furniture, fittings and objects in the external areas of buildings, landscapes and streets for the benefit of the public. This can include benches, post boxes, cycle stands, traffic lights, street lamps, traffic signs, outdoor sculptures, and waste bins that are seen on the street. More also enlivens the space.

source: Civic Trust Awards

Housing and gardens

For every residential development involving at least one new dwelling (including a replacement dwelling), the following coding is applicable.

Front gardens or Streets

The front (public-facing) gardens will largely define the streetsceneAll spaces and features which form the street environment, including buildings, street furniture, fittings and finishes and green infrastructure and open spaces. More and will require an attractive and robust landscape structure. This will involve the planting of trees, hedges and shrubs at a size that delivers an instant impact.

Applicants should refer to the ‘Trees’ sub-chapter for tree planting guidance. Where there is insufficient depth in front gardens to accommodate tree planting, trees should be planted in the street as an alternative.

All new development will require the introduction of new tree planting. In particular, new residential properties (including replacement dwellings) are required to provide the following new planting within front gardens along the street.

All trees must be planted at a minimum of a “Select Standard” size (10-12cm girth) to ensure that it establishes and has sufficient immediate impact to ensure its contribution to the streetsceneAll spaces and features which form the street environment, including buildings, street furniture, fittings and finishes and green infrastructure and open spaces. More and its retention.

Trees

Width of Frontage (m)	Minimum No. of Trees to be planted within Garden Area
< 6	1
6 – 10	2
10+	2+

Rear and side garden areas

Trees

In schemes involving housing with private garden areas, every private garden will be expected to deliver trees within that garden at a minimum “Standard” size (8–10cm girth) and as per the minimum ratios set out below:

Size of Private Garden Area (sqm)	Minimum No. of Trees to be planted within Garden Area
<100	1
100-200	2
200+	3

Rooftops and podiums

Rooftops and podium gardens have the ability to deliver meaningful tree, hedge and shrub planting. Every opportunity to deliver meaningful planting in such spaces must be taken.

In order to deliver rooftop planting, a number of things must be factored in from the outset, including:

Load bearing considerations (trees, soil and watering have a heavy load)
Roof build up requirements and levels implications for this
Whether any part of the planting bed will be above or below external rooftop level
Drainage considerations
Irrigation capability (Including water supply and bib tap locations)
How large species are to be delivered to the actual roof top or podium for planting
How ongoing maintenance (or replacement planting) will be carried out once the scheme has been completed.
Any legal requirements

Rear and side garden areas

Trees

Size of Private Garden Area (sqm)	Minimum No. of Trees to be planted within Garden Area
<100	1
100-200	2
200+	3

Examples

Public squares

Public squares and public parks of all sizes have an important role to play. All have the ability to deliver some level of planting. Spaces that include tree and other planting are invariably more successful spaces than those without.

Hard spaces can incorporate trees, hedges and/or planters within the space and all opportunities should be taken.

Examples

Submission requirements

In circumstances where rooftop or podium planting is being proposed and relied upon, confirmation that the above considerations have been taken into account from the outset must be submitted with the application.

A plan and supporting information must include: